FOUR-IN-HAND.   37

traps ; and while there are several other carriages, such as the roof seat break (Plate XVI), the omnibus (Plate XCVIII), the French char a bane (Plate XVII), and the skeleton break (Plate XVIII), which are perfectly practical for the driving of four horses, they can not, nevertheless, be considered as in the best of form.

Of course, in the case of the omnibus we have a carriage which is useful for other purposes as well, and often answers for the man who has not the time or the means to indulge in a vehicle which is adapted to fourin-hand work alone. It may be wise, however, to advise against the use of hybrid vehicles for four-in-hand work on general principles, as in most cases their cost is about the same as that of' the standard carriages, and they have ordinarily very little in themselves to war= rant a deviation in their favour. Breaks and four-inhand traps generally should be considered as sporting vehicles, and treated in their appointment on that basis. Stable liveries should be used, also road harness with the sporting type of bits, etc. Custom has, perhaps, made it admissible that at times the servants may wear full liveries on a break which has a hind seat similarly arranged to that of a coach ; but it should be remembered primarily that such carriages are classified under the term hybrid, and are therefore scarcely to be considered as within the pale of' criticism. It can invariably be said to be in far better

I

i